Decision, Resolve, and Consequence.

"Nadia, wake up!" His words, while whispered, were harsh, and enough to wake Nadia, especially since he'd shaken her a bit. The drowsy young woman sat up, not caring she was in her underwear, and watched as her slightly younger half-brother began... packing her things?

"...Graham? What's going on?" Graham threw some clothes at her, not bothering to turn to her.

"Get dressed and help me pack your things. We need to leave."

"But why?"

"It's not safe here anymore. ChimeraTech knows who we are." Nadia was shocked, to be sure. That... that was incredibly bad. She hopped out of bed, rushing to get dressed.

"Well, we need to warn Daddy, and the staff, and-" Graham suddenly gripped her arm with surprising strength. "Wha... Graham, what is it?"

"...Father knows. He cut a deal with ChimeraTech." The way he said it... it bothered her greatly.

"What... what kind of deal?"

"...They pay him a large sum of money, and he makes sure I stop messing about in their business, or tell anyone what I know. He will also help improve their standing to people." Nadia knew there was more, however, judging by the look on his face.

"...What else, Graham?"

"...Father... that... that bastard... he's giving you to them." Nadia recoiled as if struck. Their father... was going to hand her over to ChimeraTech?

"That... n-no, Daddy... Daddy wouldn't do that... he... Daddy loves me! THere's no way he would-" She was cut off when Graham actually slapped her.

"Nadia. He would. That's the kind of man he is, and you know it, even if you refuse to admit it. This place isn't safe here for us. Especially you. Now help me pack. By dawn, I want us to be long-gone, understand?" Nadia just nodded numbly, and helped him pack up. As they were leaving, however, heading down to the secret garage Graham had constructed under the estate, he stopped.

"Alright, you continue down, I'll meet you there in a bit, alright?" He looked... nervous.

"Graham? What are you doing?"

"...Something that I should have done a good while ago." Nadia gripped his arm, narrowing her eyes.

"You tell me right now. What are you going to do?" Graham looked away, not wanting to meet her eyes.

"...If we leave like this, Father will cut us off. No funds, no support. We need that money to continue our plans. With access to Father's money, we can keep going. Without it, it'll only be a matter of time before we are caught. I can't let him cut us off." He shifted, and that was when Nadia noticed the gun on his hip.

"...No... No, Graham, you can't! You can't do that, you can't kill Daddy!"

"I can and I will! You don't understand anything, Nadia! You don't understand everything I have to do to protect us, to protect you! I've tried showing you subtle hints about what Father is like, but you refused to see them!" He was yelling now, a 'luxury' afforded to him by the fact that they were in a sound-proof bunker underground. "Our father is a monster, Nadia! He doesn't care about us, just about money, and his damned legacy!" Nadia tried to interrupt, before Graham continued.

"He put the idea in your head that you and I should be together! It was him! He wanted you chasing after me, to keep you from seeing someone he didn't approve of, and hoping that I would take advantage! His 'worst case' scenario there was that he'd get an heir that was entirely his! And since it didn't work out, do you know what he had planned to do?"

"N-no.."

"He planned to sell you, Nadia. He planned to sell you to a member of the Demon Council, in exchange for rights to build there!" Nadia was staring at him in horror, tears sliding down her face, and Graham couldn't continue, couldn't tell her just what kind of man she was almost sold to just the year before. "...I have to do this, Nadia. It's the only chance we have, and he deserves it." He turned to go, but Nadia grabbed him from behind, her arms tight around his waist and her face buried against his back.

"Please, Graham... don't..." He could feel her shaking, and closed his eyes tightly. "I... I don't care what he wanted to do... I don't care... he... he's my Daddy, Graham... I don't want him to die, and... I don't want you to have to.... to have his blood on your hands... please..." She broke down into tears, and Graham clenched his fists. Slowly, he turned, and pulled her into a warm hug, burying his face in her hair.

"Nadia... I'm sorry... I've been a terrible brother... always yelling at you, pushing you away... and now I've made you cry... I... I promise... I'll do my best to make up for my mistakes..." He kissed the top of her head, and saw that adoring look in her watery, puffy eyes, before they rolled back into her head and she went limp. Graham stuggled to hold her, gently lowering her to the ground. He pulled the tranquilizing needle from her neck, sighing. He hated to do that, but he had no choice. He kissed her forehead this time, then after a pause, lightly kissed her lips. "At least in your sleep, I can give you what you want... I'll be back soon..." He then stood, and hurried back toward the main estate.

_________________"There is no such thing as 'Coincidence'. Only 'Inevitability'." ~ Yuuko Ichihara